Maybe it was the Christmas spirit, but I gave no less than 7 books a five star rating over the course of this month. I allowed myself to access some of the sequels of earlier amazing reads, and this inevitably led to some great reads for me, sometimes in worlds I am very familiar with, and beyond happy to revisit.

In a 360 degree reversal from last month, I DID want to read this month, which was great. I kind of instantly countered my good intentions though by immediately signing up to several heavy going doorstoppers that have recently been making headlines.

I get skin and growth issues as part of my disability; I have had procedures (five so far) to remove lumps

I found it incredibly difficult to get going, so I bit into some Audibles, and made myself get to it over the last couple of weeks of the month. I made it to 14 stories, but only 4 are full length books this month, with the rest being short stories, novellas, and theatrical Audible adaptations.

I saw the passing of Baek Se-hee on BBC News today, and right there in my eyeline next to the television was the sequel I recently bought of this South Korean author’s international bestseller; I Want To Die, But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki.

The wind has picked up, leaves have changed to the loveliest of colours and started falling, and although it is still warm in the day, the nights are shorter and cooling down. We are at the start of Autumn, a favourite time of year for me.

So here it is, the results of my foray into (facial) skincare (I will update on body products later on).

We are shifting now into late Summer, warm, dreamy days and peaceful nights, and the last chunk of the school summer break.

Body care is something that has become very well established for me over the years, and I do not feel any real need to change my formula; it works for me. As my skin and hair change, I swap products in and out, but this process often takes years; I only alter things when I feel there is a need.

Now moving gently into the second half of 2025, and it is the July reading round up! As I am both maintaining and recording my reading habit for the whole of 2025, I decided to have a quick look at numbers at this half way point.

One thing I really can do when low on spoons is shop.

Summer already, time for the June reading round up! Summer is supposed to mean more in the way of beach-style reads, but as many disabled people will know, days of strong sunlight and heat can be a no-go depending on the condition in question.

I have finally had a little time to indulge in a favourite pastime, Solo RPG play.

End of May and we’re already almost halfway through the year, good grief, and at the May reading round up. The weather is ramping up and sitting with a book is a real joy, as anything else causes menopausal overheating at my age!

Every time I click on Google right now I see another announcement about books that have won significant prizes in literature. This must mean it’s that time of the year - the moment prominent book awards start to announce their annual winners.

Spring is here and it’s time for the April reading round up!

My main focus the last couple of weeks has been existing on a VLCD, or Very Low Calorie Diet. That’s 800kcals per day to people in the know, made up of packets, usually soups or shakes.

March had me at a concerted effort to improve my reading, and a reminder to myself that I have Audible and audiobooks because of disabilities and days where it is very difficult to read.

Archaeological news has kind of been made this week with the release of findings of a new Iron Age Cart Burial made on a Persimmon housing development in Pocklington…

A baby mouse just strolled past the fireplace…